Set of mechanical multiple use individual parts adapted to be directly assembled one with another



y 8, 1962 C. A. v. POLGAR 3,033,598

sET OF MECHANICAL MULTIPLE USE INDIVIDUAL PARTS ADAPTED TO BE DIRECTLY ASSEMBLED ONE WITH ANOTHER Filed April 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

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United States Patent Ofifice 3,033,598 Patented May 8, 1962 The present invention has for its object to provide a set of mechanical individual parts having each a multiple use, said parts being adapted to be assembled one with another in varying fashions, without being necessary to carry out any machining, said parts being recoverable after using the same, and assembly thereof being carried out with an accuracy comparable with that of mechanisms presently in use.

Such sets of parts have yet been realized in several fields, particularly for childrens construction toys, frames for electronic units etc., but in the case of toy units realized up to this day, as for example the construction toy commercially so-called Meccano, the dimensions of all the elements are standard ones, i.e. that there has been contemplated therein only a single shaft diameter and a single spacing between the several identical holes.

The fact that only a single standard dimension is provided, while insuring a construction simplicity, exhibits however very severe drawbacks as soon as one attempts to realize a mechanism using correctly the mechanical strength of the several parts.

The complete set of individual parts according to my invention is such that simultaneous interengagement and us of a plurality of component sets become possible, allowing for example to use transmission shafts having geometrical characteristics appropriate to their function.

The complete set of parts according to the present invention comprises a plurality of component sets the moduli of which are determined in such a manner that said parts mate readily one with another, and particularly in such a manner that when assembling plates comprised in different ranges there is obtained a maximum number of holes provided in the different plates and aligned one with another, whereby the greatest possible number of locations where a shaft or another member may be placed is achieved.

In order to obtain the different component sets of parts, one could turn from one of said component sets to another by changing scales according to arithmetical series, but the plates constructed as a function of variations from some arithmetical series have no flexibility in use, since the size variations do not remain of the same order.

On the other hand, it is not possible to extend said series by constructing elments having a dimension corresponding to a figure lower than the base figure of the series.

One could determine the dimensions of the different component sets from geometrical series, but in sucha case difficulties are encountered which make practically impossible to juxtapose with a third plate two plates disent invention.

Said series is constituted by juxtaposing a number of series of the p 2 form, and is constituted, for example, by juxtaposing the series Usually it may suffice to juxtapose three series, and particularly the following ones, which will be recognized as (p+2) X2, (p+3) 2 and (p+4) 2 respectively, taking p as equal to one:

This gives the compound series 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 40 etc. but contingently it is possible to use more compound series formed by two or even more of three series of the p 2 form.

Thus, the numbers In and n of plate chess patterns are determined by selecting a number from one of the compound series as above defined, and the actual length and width of the plates in conventional units of distance is obtained by multiplying m and n by the selected modulus M. In the specific case illustrated in FIGURE 1, the number of squares measured vertically=m=8 and the number measured horizontally=n=6, both 6 and 8 being terms taken from the above compound series. If the selected modulus is 1" then this plate will be 6" x 8"; if the modulus is h" the plate will be 3" x 4", etc.

In order to determine the dimenstion of a plate, i.e. in fact the relative dimensions of the plates comprised in the component sets, it suffices to determine the modulus. The modulus in is determined by selecting the same from the terms of a 2 ratio geometrical series. Thus a base modulus having been selected, it can be seen that it is an easy matter to determine the moduli of the plates comprised in the other ranges.

The actual dimensions of the plates do not always correspond to the boundaries of a chess pattern having a given modulus, but said dimensions may be positioned inwardly of the contour of said chess pattern by a distance equal to the half of the plate thickness, in order that the plates may be disposed at right angles with two plates assembled in a common plane and to take into consideration the thickness of the intermediate plate.

At the intersection of the axes forming the chess pattern of a plate are drilled holes so-called shaft holes, the diameter of which vary and depend upon the type of parts to be constructed, but said diameters are selected from those of the standarized commercially available elements and are as close as possible to the Renards R5 series. Thus, the shaft diameters may be 2.5, 4, 6, 1O, 15, 25, mm.

Thus, the elements of the different component sets, the dimensions of which are determined as a function of the above-mentioned criteria, give a great flexibility in use, i.e. that there may be mounted in the same mechanism shafts having diameters very different, and wheels the dimensions of which vary largely. Such shafts may be mounted either in plain or in ball and/ or roller bearings, and the greatest possible number of shaft holes of said support plates are aligned whatever are the different ranges to which belong the support plates of a same mechanism, which obtains an important readiness 1n use.

By having determined the moduli of the elements by means of a 2 ratio geometrical series, it is possible to extend the set towards the small elements as well as towards the large ones in a very easy manner. The dimension discrepancies between the different component sets of elements remain however sufficiently constant so that the parts may lend themselves to all the contemplated uses.

The character of the series used for determining the dimensions of the different elements according to the present invention makes it possible to carry out compound chess patterns on a given support plate, i.e. chess patterns drawn with different moduli.

Finally, since the compound series used as a base in constructing the parts according to the present invention is very close to the Renards R10 series, the parts of the set according to my invention permit to use to a maximum the elements corresponding to the present French standardization.

Independently of the shaft support plates, the part set according to my invention makes it possible to form frameworks comprising square section tubes being telescoped exteriorly onto angle or connecting parts having a corresponding section.

The linear dimensions of said tubes are determined by means of the compound series in the same manner as those of the plates.

The set of parts comprises also shafts constituted on the one hand by cylindrical elements and on the other hand by cylindrical elements provided with one or more flats aligned along a common axis.

By combining such shafts and intermediate parts comprising cylindrical bearing surfaces and contingently cylindrical bearing surfaces provided with a flat corresponding to the shafts, it is possible to mount any rotary part either idling on any one of said shafts or on the contrary rotatively integral with such shaft.

In order that the object of the present invention may be completely understood, there will be now described as an illustrative and by no way limitative example a form thereof, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a plate according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the same plate;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an assembly of square section tubes for forming a frame constituted by distance-pieces;

FIG. 4 is a section taken from IVIV in FIG. 3, showing how to fix a part to a square section tube;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shaft according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a toothed wheel which is adapted to be mounted on the shaft represented in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an intermediate part used for mounting two toothed wheels in side by side relationship, integral one with the other and freely rotatably mounted on a shaft;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an intermediate part by means of which a toothed wheel, such as that shown in FIG. 6, may be mounted on a shaft having a smaller diameter.

In FIG. 1, there is shown in dash-and-dot line the chess pattern of which the side of each square has a length represented by the selected uniform distance or modulus M.

In the case of FIG. 1, the chess pattern length is represented by a number in equal to 8 squares, and the width of said chess pattern is represented by a number 11 equal to 6 squares, which, as it can be seen, are selected from the above-mentioned compound series, constituted by juxtaposing the series 3 X2, 4 2 and 5X2.

It appears also that the edge 2 of the plate is inwardly offset, relatively to the chess pattern line 1, by a distance corresponding to the half of the plate thickness e shown in FIG. 2. This is such so as to permit to insert a plate edgewise between two plates, such as that represented in FIG. 1, while maintaining accurately a chess pattern. In other words, when one plate is inserted edgewise between two inwardly offset plates lying in the same plane, the distance from one of the holes 3 in one of the plates lying in the same plane to the nearest hole 3 in the other plate lying in that plane d will be equal to an exact multiple of the modulus and will not depart therefrom by the thickness of the inserted plate, as would be the case if the plate were not offset inwardly by half that thickness.

The plate as shown in FIG. '1 comprises three types of holes, of which the holes having a uniform diameter, such as holes 3, are located at the intersection of the chess pattern lines.

In said plate there has been provided a number of holes, such as 4, for receiving shafts having a greater diameter, and around said holes there are provided, at the intersection of the axes of a half modulus chess pattern, holes which have a smaller diameter, such as 5, and which may be used for fixing the bearing corresponding to the holes 4.

Blind holes are drilled edgewise of the plates such as that shown in FIG. 1 in alignment with the chess pattern lines. Said holes are threaded so that the plates may be attached to each other by means of headless screws seated therein.

It can be seen in FIG. 3 a part 6 constituted by a cube-shaped body 7 and parallelepiped extensions such as 8.

Said parallelepiped extensions telescope into a square section tube such as 9. Said tube 9 is provided with holes, such as 10, located one relative to another at distances determined in the same manner as the distances between the holes 3 of the plate shown in FIG. 1.

Said holes 10 may be smooth or threaded. They provide for a connection by keying or threading into corresponding holes 11 of parallelepiped parts such as 8, so that the tubes such as 9 are connected one with another by means of parts such as 6.

It is clear that parts such as 6 may be used in various assemblies and may connect a plurality of tubes such as 9 one with another in any possible combination and direction, depending upon the number of parallelepiped extensions 8 which are carried by the part 6. In order to illustrate a possible variation in the dimensions of the tubes, one of the tubes 9 has been shown in FIG- URE 3 as having a rectangular rather than a square cross-section, whereas all of the mating parallelepipeds 8 are square in cross-section. It will, however, be appreciated that the exterior section of the elements 8 will be shaped to mate with the interior sections of the cooperating members 9, regardless of whether this be square or rectangular.

FIG. 4 shows how any part 12 may be fixed by means of a U-shaped rod 13 externally threaded at both ends thereof.

Said rod is introduced, as shown in 13a, in a hole of the square section tube by one of its ends, and then, as shown in 13b, the same end is passed through a second hole in the tube, and afterwards a part 12 may be thus fixed by means of two nuts 14 and 15.

There is shown in FIG. 5 a shaft '16 comprising a cylindrical section 17 extended by a part cylindrical section 18 provided with two flats l9 and 26 separated by a distance equal to the diameter of said cylindrical section 17.

From said part cylindrical section 18 extends in turn a cylindrical section 21 which terminates in a part cylindrical section 22 provided with two flats 2.3 and 24, whereby different wheels, such as the wheel 25 shown II]; FIG. 6, may be mounted on the above-mentioned s a t.

Such wheels may be mounted either idling on said shaft or rotatively fixed thereon.

In FIG. 7 there is shown an intermediate part through which two Wheels, such as that illustrated in FIG. 6, comprised in different part ranges, may be mounted idling and integral one with the other on a shaft having a small diameter.

FIG. 8 shows an intermediate part through which a toothed wheel such as that illustrated in FIG. 6 may be mounted on a smaller diameter shaft, said toothed wheel being rotatively fixed on said shaft.

Parts like those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may also be used as bearings for the shafts.

It is to be understood that the form of the present invention as described hereinbefore and particularly in the appended claims is by no Way limitative and that various desirable changes and modifications may be brought out by those skilled in the art without departing of the scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

l. A set of multiple use detachable parts adapted to be manually assembled together, said set comprising a plurality of rectilinear plates of different sizes, the principal surfaces of each plate being pierced by a plurality of holes located at the intersections of two sets of parallel lines running parallel to the edges of said plates and forming a pattern of squares, said lines being spaced a uniform distance apart and the length and breadth of each plate being equal to said uniform distance multiplied by a term taken from a group of successive geometric series of the form 12x2, (p+1) 2, (p-i2) 2 (p-l-r) X2, Where p and n are integers, the edges of each plate being equidistant from the nearest of said lines to Which they are parallel, and each individual series in said group of successive geometric series being represented in said set by a plurality of plates having a dimension equal to said uniform distance multiplied by a term taken from that individual series.

2. A set of parts according to claim 1 in which the group of successive geometric series consists of the three series 3X2, 4x2, 5X2.

3. A set of parts as claimed in claim 1 in which each plate is provided with holes in its lateral edges adapted to receive connecting pins and spaced from each other by said uniform distance.

4. A set of multiple use detachable parts adapted to be manually assembled together, said set comprising a plurality of rectifier plates of different sizes but uniform thickness, the principal surfaces of each plate being pierced by a plurality of holes located at the intersections of two sets of parallel lines running parallel to the edges of said plates and forming a pattern of squares, said lines being spaced a uniform distance apart, and the length and breadth of each plate being equal to said uniform distance multiplied by a term taken from a group of successive geometric series of the form p 2 (p+ (p+ 2 (p+ Where p and n are integers, but then diminished by a distance equal to said thickness, the edges of each plate being equidistant from the nearest of said lines to which they are parallel, and each individual series in said group of successive geometric series being represented in said set by a plurality of plates having a dimension equal to said uniform distance multiplied by a term taken from that individual series.

5. A set of parts according to claim 4 in which the group of successive geometric series consists of the three series 3x2 4x2, 5x2.

6. A set of parts as claimed in claim 4 in which each plate is provided with holes in its lateral edges adapted to receive connecting pins and spaced from each other by said uniform distance.

7. A set of parts as claimed in claim 6 comprising also a plurality of elongated members which are square in cross-section, the thickness of said elongated members being equal to that of said plates, and the sides of said elongated members being provided with holes of the same diameter and spaced at the same intervals as those in the edges of said plates, so that said elongated members may be fastened to said edges to form connections between adjacent plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 306,874 Thatcher Oct. 21, 1884 332,201 Hurley Dec. 8, 1885 1,166,688 Homby Jan. 4, 1916 1,562,419 Bowen Nov. 17, 1925 1,648,706 Walker Nov. 8, 1927 2,063,895 Mack Dec. 15, 1936 2,294,795 Moses Sept. 1, 1942 2,512,725 Mock June 27, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 422,645 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1935 

